Scrabble Pieces & Marshmallow Kisses
by xxDustNight88
Summary: This Christmas Eve, Scorpius has something special planned for Albus. So when the boy has a row with his father, he knows everything has to be perfect. With marshmallow-filled hot chocolate, strategically placed Scrabble pieces, and a perfectly-timed sprig of magical mistletoe, will he be able to make this a night Albus will never forget?


**Author's Note:** Finally able to share this story with you all. It was written for the Under the Mistletoe One-Shot competition hosted by Quills & Parchment. It won for Cutest Couple and came in Runner-Up for Best Fluff and Best Love Confession. It's originally posted on Ao3, so if you'd like to check out other stories from that collection, head on over there. I want to thank my girls for talking me into not withdrawing from this competition and for urging me to finish my story. I love how it turned out, so this one's for all of you! xxDustNight

 **Disclaimer:** All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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 _Scrabble Pieces & Marshmallow Kisses_  
Rated: T  
Pairing: Scorpius/Albus  
Winner: Cutest Couple  
Runner-Up: Best Fluff and Best Love Confession  
Summary: This Christmas Eve, Scorpius has something special planned for Albus. So when the boy has a row with his father, he knows everything has to be perfect. With marshmallow-filled hot chocolate, strategically placed Scrabble pieces, and a perfectly-timed sprig of magical mistletoe, will he be able to make this a night Albus will never forget?

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 _Scrabble Pieces & Marshmallow Kisses_

Reading, Scorpius was minding his own business in the nearly empty Slytherin common room, most of the school having returned home the winter break. He was sprawled out on the long leather sofa, his feet stretching towards the fireplace in the chilly dungeon. Turning the page of his Charms textbook, he ignored the three or four other Slytherin housemates chatting idly over in the corner. The only person he really talked to was Albus, and he was off speaking with the Headmistress, having been summoned half an hour earlier.

As he continued to read ahead in Charms, Scorpius was startled when the portrait hole bursted open. In stalked Albus, his cheeks red with anger and hands clenched into fists. Scorpius sat up, tossing his book aside. Albus didn't even glance at him as he headed towards the dormitories. Slamming the door behind him, Albus disappeared, leaving the common room in shock. The other house members snickered before returning to their previous activities.

Getting to his feet, Scorpius threw them a reproachful look before following after his best friend. He had no idea what the Headmistress had called him for, but he was going to find out. Scorpius ran a hand through his blond hair, worry making him uneasy. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and Scorpius just wanted a quiet holiday with his closest mate. Reaching the sixth year's door, Scorpius tilted his head, listening for a clue as to what he'd find on the other side.

Hearing nothing out of the ordinary, he opened the door. Inside Albus was sprawled on his bed, face in the mattress. Unable to help himself, Scorpius snorted, signaling his presence. In reply, Albus mumbled into the duvet; his words slurred and unrecognizable. Closing the door, Scorpius laughed openly.

"Not a clue what you're prattling on about," he teased, moving to sit on his bed.

Rolling onto his back dramatically, Albus glared at the ceiling before chucking a piece of crumpled paper at Scorpius. The paper hit him in the chest before bouncing on the bed. Albus watched as his friend silently read the letter. With each passing second, the boy's blond eyebrows rose higher and higher, threatening to disappear entirely behind his fringe. The dark-haired boy waited until the letter was set aside before speaking.

"My father's a complete twat."

Thinking about the letter, he had to agree. "He could have worded it a bit… _nicer_?"

" _Nicer_ ," Albus exclaimed, jumping to his feet to between their beds. "I think sending a letter to McGonagall _demanding_ I come home for Christmas or face severe repercussions is anything but _nice_." Stopping to stare at Scorpius, he added, "What's he going to do, come and drag me home by the ear?"

"You can go home if you want…"

"What?" Albus sat down next to the blond-haired boy. "Absolutely not. We agreed to spend Christmas together, and that's exactly what I intend to do."

Sighing with relief, Scorpius scrubbed a hand over his face. "Thanks, Al. I didn't want to spend Christmas alone."

Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, Albus reassured him. "Next year will be better, Scorp. Your dad won't be traveling forever."

"You're right." Shaking himself, Scorpius put on a smile, wanting to cheer Albus up, and not the other way around. "Besides, I've got something fun planned for tomorrow!"

"You do?" Albus asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Care to share details?"

"Oh no," he exclaimed, jumping from the bed. "No way! It's a surprise, and if I tell you even one hint, you'll figure it out." Rummaging in his trunk, he extracted his winter cloak. "In the meantime, let's head into Hogsmeade and have dinner at the Three Broomsticks."

Grinning, Albus dove for his own trunk, voice filling with excitement. "Excellent! We can stop at that bookshop you like so much. Didn't you say there was a new book out you wanted?"

Scorpius turned to look Albus, fingers stilling. A warmth filled his chest that Albus had remembered such a thing when he'd mentioned it in passing. Smiling slightly, he felt the warmth settle in the middle of his chest as he watched the dark-haired boy. "Yeah, actually. I did."

"Thought so," Albus chimed before taking hold of Scorpius's hand and dragging him to the door.

Scorpius wondered if he noticed the way their hands fit perfectly together, or if that was just him. Either way, tomorrow night his plans would make it clear how he felt for the boy who'd stolen his heart nearly six years ago. It'd taken him quite a while to realize what the feelings really were, but now there was no denying what he felt. He only hoped that Albus felt the same way, and if he didn't, that he'd still want to be his friend come Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve turned out to be an exceptionally beautiful day. After a lie in, the two boys spent the afternoon wandering school grounds simply talking and playing in the snow. They'd stopped by Hagrid's to briefly say hello before heading inside for dinner. When it looked as if McGonagall was planning to corner Albus, Scorpius whisked him off to the dungeons. Alone in their dormitory, the pair lounged on their beds, eating sweets and sharing stories of holidays in the past.

"So, what have you planned for this evening?"

Rolling onto his side, Scorpius grinned mischievously. "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

"Really mature…," Albus chastised his friend, but he was smiling as he did so. "It's late enough, is it time to get started?"

"I suppose so," came Scorpius's reply as he sat up and moved from the bed. Going over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room, he pulled out a long, thin box that rattled as he tucked it underneath his arm. Turning to face Albus, he smirked. "Let's get going. We've got a bit of a walk ahead, and I want to stop at the kitchens."

"Brilliant," his friend replied before meeting him at the door. Then noticing what was underneath his arm, asked, "Is that Scrabble? The Muggle board game?"

Glancing down, Scorpius laughed. "Sure is," Scorpius explained as they left the Slytherin common room behind and headed towards the kitchens. Once there, he allowed Albus the privilege of tickling the pear before opening the portrait hole for him.

Excitement bubbled inside of him as he saw the basket he'd requested set out on the table in the middle of the room. Grabbing for it, he held it out of Albus's reach, not wanting him to know what was inside. Finally, the two began the trek upstairs, Scorpius leading the way to the Astronomy tower. It would be a cold night, but he'd hidden charmed blankets that would keep them warm, among a few other special touches. Albus chatted the entire time, not seeming to care that they were climbing to the top of the castle.

When they reached their destination, night was fully upon them, and they were slightly out of breath. Albus wandered over to the edge, looking out at the snow-covered grounds. Watching from the corner of his eye, Scorpius opened the basket and began setting up their Christmas Eve snack. He laid the green blanket down on the stone floor, spreading it out so there was enough room for the two of them. Then, he opened the Scrabble box and set up the game. This was when Albus finally came over to join him, plopping down and reaching for the small bag of square letter pieces, selecting seven and placing them on his holder.

"So are we really going to play Scrabble on the Astronomy tower?" He was smiling, green eyes glittering with mirth. Scorpius snatched the bag from his friend.

"Yes," he answered, selecting his own pieces. "The only rule is that the words must be holiday-related."

"Interesting…"

"Difficult, but fun," Scorpius said with a smirk worthy of his father. "It's Christmas Eve, after all."

Green eyes met grey, accepting the challenge for what it was. Glancing down at his tiles, Albus played around for a second before setting down the first word. " _Festive_." It went on from there, each boy taking a turn at trying to make up holiday words. There was a lot of exchanging pieces into the bag so they could keep up the one rule, but neither minded.

 _Noel_

 _Season_

 _Tinsel_

 _Wreath_

 _Eggnog_

 _Winter_

 _Green_

When they both were getting chilled from the late December air, Scorpius went for the next part of his surprise. He reopened the basket and pulled out a thermos of steaming hot chocolate and poured each of them a large mug. He also went into the storage closet and grabbed the warm blankets. Albus gave him a sly look, but thanked him nonetheless. Scorpius smiled happily, his cheeks flushing and a nervous fluttering starting in his.

"This is rather fun," Albus admitted, rearranging letters to try to come up with another word. Biting his lip, he reached for his mug. "The only thing that could make it better is if we had some marshmallows for this hot chocolate."

Eyes going wide, Scorpius reached into the basket. "Hold on, I know I asked Winky..." Sure enough, he found a bag of the mini delights. Shaking them, he added a few to each of their mugs, enjoying the way Albus's face lit up as he did so. He waited for Albus to put down a word. A second later, green eyes lit up with a smile as he figured it out.

"Snow! Adding it to winter to create _winters_ …seventeen points for me!" The dark-haired boy threw his fist into the air triumphantly, making Scorpius laugh.

"That's a total of eighty-eight points for you, and thirty-four for me." He hummed thoughtfully, looking at his Scrabble pieces in search for a word. "Okay…I have 'red'." He set the pieces down on the board.

"That's only four points," Albus said. "Are you trying at all? I'm killing your sorry arse at this game."

Shrugging, he replaced the tiles with new ones on his holder. "I'm having fun, win or lose. I promise." Besides, he was waiting for the right moment to reveal the surprise, but there was still a bit more game to play.

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, Albus relented. "Alright…if you say so."

 _Quaint_

 _Joy_

 _Nice_

As the night wore on, and the game continued, there were less Scrabble pieces to play with. Albus sighed heavily after placing his last word down. "I feel like there are pieces missing from that bag. Nice is only a six-point word." Pointing at Scorpius's hand he inquired, "What word have you got?"

Nervously, the blond set out his tiles on the board, forming the word from the bottom of 'Noel', opposite of where Albus placed 'nice'. "Love," he mumbled, blushing furiously. With difficulty, he met Albus's heavy stare. "Eight points."

The corner of the boy's mouth lifted. "Very nice…my turn…I just wish I had better letters, but I don't want to swap them again. We're running out of open places anyway…"

Biting his lip, Scorpius slipped his hand into his pocket as Albus perused the board. Carefully, he wrapped his hand around the letters in his pocket, sliding them out and quickly placing them on his holder. He'd been planning this all evening, and truly hoped Albus didn't spoil the entire surprise by taking the only spot on the board where he could play this word. With a sigh of relief, he watched as his friend added an L and an F to the top of Eggnog.

"It's only six points, but I'll take it." Scribbling his points down, he waited eagerly for Scorpius to take his turn. "You're up! Let's see what you've got."

With shaky hands, he grabbed for his Scrabble pieces. Carefully, Scorpius laid down the pieces one by one. M. I. S. T. L. T. O. Both E's that he needed were already there, so once he'd placed the last tile, he sat back and slowly met Albus's stare.

"Wow," he exclaimed, eyes glancing at the board momentarily. "That's a twenty-four point word!" Grabbing for the discarded parchment, he wrote that down before laughing. "Where did those letters come from? I feel like they weren't in the bag at all."

"Just lucky, I guess," Scorpius muttered, scratching at the back of his head. He needed Albus to say the word aloud or the surprise would never happen. How could he get him to say it? Clearing his throat, he pointed to the word, a tentative smile upon his lips. "It's a perfect word for tonight, don't you think?"

"What," asked Albus, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "Oh! Mistletoe! Yeah, of course it is, what with it being Christmas Eve and all." With a start, Albus dropped his mug as a burst of light exploded above them. Clearly thinking the worst, he grabbed for the wand inside his pocket.

Scorpius watched as the boy's green eyes went wide. Mouth dropping open, his friend turned to look at him. Scorpius merely smiled, taking a deep breath, prepared for his surprise. Above their blanket and game, he'd planted a sprig of magical mistletoe that would be activated once Albus said the word. Now, they were stuck there until they kissed, which was what he was hoping for. However, there was a bit more to it than just that, so he waited patiently for Albus to relax.

"Mistletoe…," he breathed, pointing to the sprig. "Did you plan this?" Scorpius nodded his reply, unsure about how Albus felt, how he would react. When he nodded but said nothing further, he took that as his cue to speak.

"Albus, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for…well, for quite some time." He stopped, sitting up on his knees and inching closer to his friend. "I wanted to make sure this Christmas Eve was special for you because I wanted you to remember it." Pausing, he examined the dark-haired boy. When he was satisfied that he wasn't going to be interrupted, he continued, finding courage within. "I'm in love with you, Albus."

There.

He'd said it, and the world didn't end. They were both still there—still kneeling across a silly game of Christmas Scrabble. Wetting his lips, he waited for Albus to reply, either with disgust or mutual affection. He was ready for either, although he preferred the latter. After a long minute that felt more like an hour, Albus shook himself and Scorpius prepared for the worst. He ran a hand through his dark hair, a blush gracing his cheekbones.

"Scorpius…"

"It's okay—I know the incantation. I can end the mistletoe's spell, and you won't have to kiss me to get away. I'm sorry it was impulsive. I'm an idiot…" He panicked. As he continued to blather on and on, he searched the blanket for his own discarded wand. Feeling a tightness in his chest, tears threatening to fall, he was startled when he felt a hand grab hold on his wrist. He stilled, grey eyes snapping up to look at Albus, who was grinning sheepishly.

"Scorpius…will you just stop for a second?"

He opened his mouth to say something else, apologize maybe, but then the most wonderfully surprising thing happened—Albus kissed him into silence. The hand not holding his wrist grabbed hold onto the back of his neck, pulling him forward so that soft lips could smooth overtop his own. Scorpius's eyes widened but then fluttered shut, allowing Albus access to his mouth. He moaned as the kiss was deepened, his hands finding purchase in Albus's soft, dark hair. It was a magical kiss, and aside from the mistletoe exploding into nothingness above them, Scorpius saw fireworks.

All too soon, in his opinion, the kiss ended, and the pair were left panting. Their foreheads rested against one another, eyes slowly reopening, full of wonder and happiness. Albus kissed him again, just a soft peck this time, but it made Scorpius's heart skip and a warmth spread over his entire body so that the heated blankets were no longer needed. Satisfied, Albus released his neck and placed gentle fingers overtop his trembling lips, probably to keep him from talking for a moment. Scorpius held his breath, eagerly anticipating what he would say.

"Scorpius, you're not an idiot." He sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "You've made this the best Christmas Eve I've had in years." Scorpius glanced around at the scattered Scrabble pieces and empty mugs of hot chocolate, feeling a bit incredulous that he'd managed to pull off this surprise.

"Rweawy?" His question came out jumbled, Albus's fingers still covering his lips. The green-eyed boy laughed merrily, which caused him to grin as well. Albus traced his lips, eyes darting down to follow the movement.

"Really," he replied, nodding. "And I love you too." Removing his fingertips, he kissed Scorpius for third time that evening, putting his entire soul into the kiss. Scorpius responded in kind, enveloping the boy in a heated embrace.

This time when they parted, Scorpius stood and pulled Albus with him. "Let's go back to our room." Albus nodded eagerly, using his wand to clean up their mess. The couple watched as everything righted itself, but before Scorpius could reach down to pick up the game and basket, Albus pulled him in for yet another lingering kiss—not that he was complaining. Between kisses, he managed to ask, "What's with all the kisses, Albus?"

Blushing, Albus answered, his eyes sparkling. "Now that I know you love me; I can't help myself…and…"

"And what?"

"You taste like marshmallows."

Laughing, Scorpius intertwined his hand with Albus's and kissed the boy himself, taking his time tasting, exploring. Against his parted lips, he murmured, "So do you." Then, he tugged his new boyfriend down the stairs and back to the Slytherin dorms where they could continue their Christmas Eve festivities.

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Final score of the Scrabble game for those interested…

Abus: 117  
Scorpius: 83 

But, let's be honest…I think Scorpius was the real winner here.


End file.
